Bold red emphasis on volcano name or bold red annontations were added by the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory, June 2007, and are not in the original, nor on the University of Washington's page.

WESTERN VOLCANOES
Chances That Western Washington May See Disastrous Eruptions.
Mountain Peaks of the American Andes and Their Interesting History.
Professor Plummer's Paper on "Recent Volcanic Activity" Read Before the Academy of Science.
Tacoma Ledger, February 28, 1893.

The announcement that Mr. Plummer would read a paper on "Recent Volcanic
Activity in Washington," drew to the Annie Wright seminary a full attendance
of the Academy of Science last night. Some brief routine business was quickly
transacted, including the appointment of a committee to
arrange with the Alpine club to form the fifth department of the academy, and another committee
to consuls with the Commercial club and chamber of commerce regarding an
extra edition of the pamphlet containing Judge Wickersham's recent paper on
"Mount Tacoma."
Messers. Taylor, Bingham and General Kautz are the first,
and M.S. Hill, Judge Wickersham and G.W. Thompson composed the second
committee. In this connection letters were received from Dr. Abbott of the
museum of archaeology and palaeontology of the University of Philadelphia,
and the Oneida Historical Society of Utica, NY, expressing approbation and
encouragement for the academy's efforts to secure general recognition of the
rightful name of the mountain.

Professor Fred G. Plummer's paper was listened to with close attention,
it follows in full:

During the preparation of this paper the writer has become convinced that
he runs some risk of being call an alarmist, and indeed he must confess, after
a careful study of the subject, there is cause for some apprehension. To say
the very least, it will not be an overexercise of caution for engineers and
architects to give this subject more than a passing thought.

What may occur in the future is entirely a matter of speculation-accurate
prediction is impossible. But we may study the history of this locality and
from it form our opinions as to what may possibly, if not probably, happen at
any moment and without warning.

The Puget Sound valley lies nearly north and south. The sun, moon and
planets rise in the Cascades and set behind the Olympics. In this lowland
nearly eighty miles in width are already many flourishing cities, surrounded
by fertile lands, unlimited forests of timber, a wealth of minerals and with
every facility for commerce. It is the very nearness of our mountain ranges-
with their inexhaustible resources of coal and minerals and water power that
will in time give us supremacy in the commerce of the world; but we will do
well to remember that we are living in a part of the world just made, and that
we view on every side the most recent of the volcanoes of this vast range--
the American Andes.

Bordering the Sound country there are at least twenty prominent peaks from
which eruptions may take place, or which may be centers of earth tremors or
shocks, and several of these have within recent years given ample proof of
life.

The following is a table of the more prominent peaks together with their
directions and distances from Tacoma according to the best available data:

Name

Direction

Distance FromTacoma - Miles

Elevation - Ft

Mount Ellner

N66 W

42

The Brothers

N53 W

40

Mount Olympus

N52 W

66

8,150

Mount Constance

N42 W

46

7,777

Mount Moriarity

N35 W

160

5,185

Mount Whymper

N34 W

141

5,120

Four Brothers

N14 E

130

Mount Baker

N16 E

110

11,190

Mount Sheeksan

N22 E

118

Mount Sauk

N26 E

96

Mount Hozomeen

N34 E

128

Mount Bonaparte

N51 E

182

6,300

Mount Howard

N65 E

75

Mount Stuart

N74 E

65

Mount Aix

S59 E

66

Mount Tacoma
(Mount Rainier)

S56 E

41

11,450

Mount Miles

S50 E

82

Mount Adams

S34 E

85

9,570

Mount Abernathy

S23 E

91

Mount Hood

S18 E

130

Mount St. Helens

S15 E

60

9,759

Saddle Peak

S6 E

100

Saddle Mountain

S32W

108

To the southward of the above group stretches a long line of cones ending
only at Cape Horn. Among the prominent peaks are
Jefferson,
Three Sisters,
Diamond,
Scott,
Pitt,
Shasta,
St. Johns,
Lassens,
Whitney, Orizaba, Ixtaccihuatl,
Potocateptl, Mombaco, Ometepe, Orosi, Cotopaxi, Chimbrazo and Acongagua.

To the northward are Calder, Edgecombe, La Perouse, Crillon, Lituya,
Fairweather, Tebenkof, Hendrickson, Seattle, Hubbard, Vancouver, Cook, Logan,
St. Elias and ending with a long line ofactive cones extending out and forming
the Alaska Peninsula.

It may well be believed that this enormous chain of upheavals, extending
a length of nearly 9000 miles makes the greatest catastrophe in the geological
history of our planet.

It seems proper to preface this paper with some old Indian traditions, not
because of their having any real scientific value, but rather that they may be
compared with the accounts which follow and with the conditions now known to
exist.

Hamichous legend, as recorded by Winthrop, tells of a wise old
Squally-amish hunter who lived near Nisqually, whose evil spirit, Tamanous, directed
him to ascend
Tacoma
in search of the precious hiaqua--money. Upon the
summit the old hunter found the treasure in the crater of the mountain, near
a black lake, to the east of which were three stones resembling a salmon's
head, a torch and an elk's head. The time may come when some siwash Ignatius
Donnelly will affirm that an Indian had reached the summit and that he was
describing a large crater between the three peaks which judging from the
present shape of the mountain, probably existed at some early time.

Another Indian legend recites that ages ago all the Indians around
Mount Tacoma
became bad, and Soch-u-le-tyee (God) concluded to dispose
of them. Wishing, however, to save some few good Indians, together with
representatives of the animal creation he directed a noted temanimus
(medicine) man to undertake their delivery. This the temanimus
accomplished by shooting an arrow up into a cloud. it stuck in the cloud.
Then he shot another arrow which stuck into the first. In this way he
fastened together a long line of arrows extending from the cloud to the
earth. The good Indians and animals climbed this rod and so were safely
lodged in the cloud. Then the floods came and fire spouted out of the
mountain and all those bad Indian's were swept from the face of the earth. -- After
many days the temanimus man, thinking that the volcanic furor might have abated
enough to make it safe for them to come down, sent several animals out to explore.
The fish finding a nice brook concluded not to go back at all. The duck also
deserted, but the beaver came back with a lump of mud on his tail, assuming
then that the volcano had ceased to spout and that they might safely venture
out. For this reason the beaver has ever since been held in high esteem while
the fish was then and there sentenced to remain all his life in the water,
and the duck was condemned to a wabbling gait forever. The good Indians and
the animals accordingly descended, the snake coming last, When the temanimus
man saw him crawling out to the rod he broke it off. Hence the snake did
not come down at all, and to that is due the fact that there are no snakes
around
Mount Tacoma.

A familiar tradition is one which recites that the Columbia River formerly
flowed under a natural bridge where it crosses the axis of the Cascades range
and that during a convulsion of nature this bridge fell, and the debris choking
the canyon formed the cascades of the Columbia.

According to the story of John Hiaton (now living) it was about the year
1820 that he witnessed an eruption of
Mount Tacoma,
accompanied by fire, noise
and earthquake. He had heard from older members of his tribe that this had
happened many times. He had also seen fires from
Mount Baker,
and a tradition of his race is to the effect that this mountain was formerly much higher and
that a tremendous explosion threw down the entire south side. The present
shape and condition of the mountain confirms this story. Hiaton also refers to
a tidal wave which washed up the Puyallup valley. This was probably the
effect of submarine volcanic action, It is possible that this was at the
same time and had the same cause as the tidal wave which swept over Santa
Barbara in 1812.

The earliest reliable records of eruptions related to
Mounts Hood and
St. Helens,
both of which were visible from the early settlements on the
Columbia river. An old historian, Rev. Samuel Parker, tells that "the Indians
say that they have often seen fires in the chasms of
Mount Hood.
Tilki, the
first chief of the La Dalles Indians, who is a man of more than ordinary
talents, said that he had often seen fires in the fissures of the rocks in
the mountains." A few years ago Captain Symonds, in his report on the
Columbia river, notes-that "persons who have visited
Mount Hood
say that near
its summit there are places where hot sulphurous gases still escape, and
there are many who claim to have seen smoke in large quantities issuing from
the mountain."

In the story of his explorations Mr. Parker relates that "there was in
August, 1831, an uncommonly dark day, which was thought to have been caused
bv an eruption of a volcano. The whole day was nearly as dark as night,
except a slight red, lurid appearance, which was perceptible until near
night. Lighted candles were necessary during the day. The atmosphere was
filled with ashes, which were very light, like the white ashes of wood, all
having the appearance of being produced by great fires, and yet none were
known to have been in that whole region around. The day was perfectly calm,
without any wind. For a few days after the fires out of doors were noticed
to burn with a bluish flame as though mixed with sulphur. There were no
earthquakes. By observations which were made after the atmosphere became
clear, it was thought the pure, white, perpetual snow upon
Mount St. Helens
was discolored, presenting a brown appearance, and therefore it was concluded
that there had been upon it a slight eruption."

In a foot-note this author says: "I have been creditably informed that
lava was ejected at that time from
Mount St. Helens."
The Klickitat name of
Mount St. Helens is Tak-one-lat-clah, and means "fire mountain."

The historian, Thornton, in his "Oregon and California" writing of
Mount Hood
says: "The Indians affirm they have often seen fires in the
chasms of this mountain. Independent of this, there are many facts that
leave no doubt that this is a volcano.
Mount St. Helens
is an active
volcano, and was in a state of eruption in the year 1831. With the exception
of a slight red, lurid appearance the day was dark and so completely was
the light of the sun shut out by the smoke and falling ashes that candles
were necessary. The weather was perfectly calm and without wind, and during
several days after the eruption the fires out of doors burned with a bluish
flame as though the atmosphere was filled with sulphur. Credible persons in
Oregon have informed me that they have on several occasions since seen the
fire and smoke of this volcano. The Rev. Josiah L. Parrish, who is connected
with a Methodist mission in Oregon, informed me that on one occasion he witnessed
one of the most remarkable eruptions of this mountain. I regret, however,
not having noted his relation in my journal. The date of the eruption and the
facts connected with it have been obliterated from my memory. I only remember
that the earthquake was felt, no noise was heard and that he saw vast columns
of lurid smoke and fire shoot up, which, after attaining a certain elevation,
spread out in a parallel to the plain of the horizon and presented the appearance
of a vast table supported by immense pillars of convolving flame and smoke."

At 1:40 p.m. Of June 29, 1833, two earthquake shocks Of slight intensity
were felt at Fort Nisqually- A messenger who afterward arrived from Fort
Vancouver, 100 miles to the southward, reported that no shock was felt at that point.

The Rev. Gustavus Hines, an early missionary to the Columbia river country,
writes that "in the month of October 1842,
St. Helens
was discovered all at
once to be covered with a dense cloud of smoke, which continued to enlarge and
move off in dense masses to the eastward, and filling the heavens in that
direction, presented an appearance like that occasioned by a tremendous
conflagration viewed at a vast distance. When the first volume of smoke had
cleared away it could be distinctly seen from different parts of the country
that an eruption had taken place on the north side of
St. Helens,
a little
below the summit, and from the smoke that continued to rise from the chasm
or crater it was pronounced to be a volcano in active operation. When the
explosion took place the wind was northwest, and on the same day and extending
from thirty to fifty miles to the southeast there fell showers of ashes or
dust, which covered the ground in some places so as to admit of its being
gathered in quantities. This last phenomena has been of frequent occurrence
and has led many to suppose that volcanic eruptions are not uncommon in this
country."

The explorer, Fremont, says that on the 13th day of November, 1843, two
of the great snow cones
(Mounts Tacoma and St. Helens)
were in action. "On
the 23rd of November
St. Helens
scattered its ashes like a light fall of snow
over the dalles of the Columbia fifty miles away," and it was still burning
on February 16,1844, when another witness described it thus- "The mountain
burned most magnificently. Dense masses of smoke rose up in immense columns and
wreathed the whole crest of the peak in sombre and massive clouds, and in the
evening its fires lit up the flaky mountain side with a flood of soft, yet
brilliant radiance."

Father De Smet testifies that "in the year 1846
Mounts St. Helens and
Baker became volcanoes,
the latter immediately preceding the time of writing
had undergone considerable changes on the side where the crater was formed,"
This corresponds in some degree to the story of John Hiaton, although the
dates are not the same. It is also reported that
Mount Tacoma
showed signs of activity at this time.

Settlers of Whatcom County have often seen
Mount Baker
in a state of
eruption, giving out fire and smoke. One old resident says he has at night upon
the water, several times seen the fires of
Mount Baker,
the smoke from which
draws down the Skagit valley. Parties who reached the summit in the year 1866,
report that the chasms on the northwest side are of frightful depth. The top
of the mountain is of solid ice and snow, The crater lies to the southward
and far below the summit. From the top smoke was plainly seen coming from the
crater and a sulphurous smell was plainly perceptable.

In January 1853, persons living down Sound could distinctly see a long.
black streak on the southwest slope of
Mount Baker
which was variously estimated
at from 1000 to 2000 feet in width. It was several months before this mass of
lava (as it undoubtedly was) had cooled so as to receive the falling snow.
Persons who reached the summit in 1881, report that just south of the peak
is an enormous chasm bearing nearly east and west and at least 1000 feet
below the summit. At the bottom of this chasm is the crater, and it was
from its western mouth this river of lava flowed.

In 1861 people at Port Ludlow saw
Mount Oympus
in a state of eruption.

Mrs. Victor, while describing Oregon scenery, says (in 1869) that a
late slight eruption of
Mount Hood,
lasting for several hours, must have
been distinctly visible at Dalles City.

On Sunday,June 27, 1869, at about 8:30 p.m. quite a severe earthquake
shock was felt at Seattle. Very little damage was done although dishes were
thrown from pantry shelves and many. people were startled by the sharpness
of the shock.

The most violent earthquake of recent times occurred in September of
the year 1870. All evidence goes to prove that the shocks came from the
direction of
Mount Olympus
in the Olympic range. On the Cowlitz prairies
stock was stampeded, chimneys were destroyed, fences were leveled and in
the houses the chairs rocked and clocks were thrown from the mantels. At
Yelm there were observed two very strong shocks, followed by several
slight ones. Clocks were stopped and many thrown down. Chickens were
thrown off the roosts and chimneys and buildings were cracked. In many places
earth fissures were formed, and on the Columbia river trail it was necessary
to make repairs in many places to prevent accidents to horses. Numerous
cracks were found, some as far east as Okanogan and Yakima. In many parts a
dull rumbling noise was heard. At Olympia houses rocked violently, throwing
down chairs, and destroying crockery, and a child was thrown from its bed.
The maple trees swayed to and fro like inverted pendulums, and people who
stood in the streets to avoid falling chimneys, were thrown to the ground.
In Lewis County many chimneys were broken off close to the roofs. The
side-wheel steamer Alida was lying at her dock at Port Gamble with her stern
pointing north and the dock to the westward. Her officers and her men
were startled by a strong blow against the guards on the port side, and rushed
out upon the dock thinking the steamer had been run into. A strong swell
immediately began to roll the boat, and from the excited people who had
rushed into the streets, they learned that an earthquake had occurred.
Gamblers deserted their tables, leaving their gold in the scramble to get
out from under buildings. It may be presumed that Port Gamble was well
and truly named. With this earthquake is connected the fall of a
large portion of Mount Tacoma, for upon the first clear day following
the shocks it could be clearly seen that the Liberty Cap Cor (north peak)
had lost about eighty acres from its southern end, which had been detached
from the main part of the peak and was distributed down the western slope.
The Liberty Cap now shows a nearly perpendicular face on the southern side
which is plainly visible from points south of Yelm. Were the evidence
as to the direction of the earthquake less clear, it might be argued
that the falling of this immense mass produced the shocks, but the
reverse is probably true. The Puyallup Indians have a tradition that
at one time
Tacobet (Mount Tacoma)
broke near the summit. A point
fell off and drifted over to the Olympics, and after this phenomena
there was snow on the Olympics-- but never before.

On Saturday, the 14th of December, 1872, at 9:40 p.m., a very
strong shock was felt over the whole Puget Sound country and as
far south as Skookumchuck, where trees swayed and created a
panic among stock. In Seattle it was stated by a paper that "With
the exception of the earthquake of 1865 at San Francisco it is
doubtful if so violent and long continued a shock has been felt for
years on the entire coast. No damage was done, but the frame
buildings swayed to and fro like small craft at sea. At Olympia roofs
were cracked and the maples swayed violently. People rushed from
hotels and houses in terror and general panic prevailed until the
cessation of the shocks. At Duwamish head a flagpole thirty feet
high waved a distance of four feet. At Seattle several lumber piles
were thrown down." There were three series of shocks, which
witnesses generally agree came from the northeast or from
Mount Baker.
In this connection I quote from Mrs. Victor, who
wrote in 1872 that
"
St. Helens
has been frequently known since the
settlement of the country to throw out steam and ashes, scattering
the latter over the country for 100 miles and obscuring the
daylight (on one occasion) so that it was necessary to burn
candles.
Mount Baker,
more active as a volcano than the other
peaks, has since 1867, suffered loss of height and change of
form consequent on the falling in of the walls of its crater."
Whether the earthquake caused the falling in or the failing
caused the earthquake is a question for debate.

On the 9th of January 1873, several sharp shocks were felt
at Tacoma, and with less force at Seattle. No damage was done.
On November 20th of the same year shocks were felt at Tacoma,
and the following December three shocks were felt at Olympia.

In the year 1874, persons living on the prairies south of
Tacoma distinctly felt several slight shocks.

On Monday, the 7th of December, 1880, at 5:45 p.m.,
strong shocks were felt throughout the Sound country. The
testimony is conflicting as to its direction, but it was either
from
Mount Tacoma
or from
Mount Baker.
The Weekly Intelligencer
published at Seattle said in its issue of the following day
that "It consisted of three vibrations in rapid sucession.
People rushed into the streets from stores, restaurants and
saloons. No damage resulted there from so far as could be
learned. The vibrations were from east to west and felt in
all parts of the city and also along the water front. Captain
Ballard of the Zephyr states that he was in his office writing
when the steamer was off Milton point and he felt the shocks very
distinctly. The steamer rocked as though in a rough sea, and
he supposed the commotion was caused by the wave of a passing
steamer and did not learn the real cause until he
arrived in port fifteen minutes afterward. The Chinese portion
of the population were the most frightened and it was an hour or
two after the shock before they subsided and stopped their
jabbering.

On the following Sunday, the 12th of December, at about
9 o'clock in the evening the entire region of 200 miles around
Mount Tacoma
experienced a series of sharp earthquakes which
were accompanied by deep rumblings. The ground seemed to
wiggle and twist and cause many panics in churches, hotels and
houses.

Dishes were shaken from pantry shelves, clocks were stopped
and several lamps were overturned, but no very serious damage
resulted. At Tacoma the engineer of a switch locomotive,
who was doing some work under his engine, was startled by
the loud ringing of the bell and called lustily to the fireman not to start the locomotive.
The ringing of a church bell
caused an alarm of fire to be spread. In the Puyallup and
Stuck valleys the motion was described as waving and like
the swell from the sea. Witnesses near Sumner state
that they could distinctly hear the approach and passage of
the shocks and were conscious of their direction and that they
came from
Mount Tacoma. The chimneys of hop-kilns suffered by
the shocks and some buildings were strained.

In the latter part of the same month a Whatcom County paper
said a "high meteor was observed to descend upon the Chuckanut
Mountains, near Samish, a few days ago which illuminated the
heavens and made the earth plainly resound to its striking.
It was probably a rocket from the fireworks of
Mount Baker,
which
was said to be in a state of eruption at the time."

A clipping from a Seattle paper dated December 21, 1880,
states that considerable excitement was caused yesterday
afternoon by the announcement that smoke was issuing from one
of the prominent peaks of the coast range of mountains. Hundreds
of people lined the streets to witness the strange phenomena, A
volume of white smoke could plainly be seen rising from the
peaks much as smoke does from the smokestack of a steamer, and
after ascending a short distance would be scattered as if by
the wind. Many brought glasses to bear on the object under
discussion, and the prevailing opinion seemed to be that a new
volcano in a state of eruption had been discovered, while
others throught it might be mist or fog rising from the
gulches in the mountains and looking much like smoke."

In the summer of 1883 Tacoma received a shock which has not been
reported from other localities, Buildings were strained, and one
ordinarily steady-going building is said to have danced on its foundations-
The direction of this shock was from
Mount Tacoma,
as shown
by the swinging of kerosene chandeliers which were hung on hooks. The
stroke of this shock is variously estimated at from three to six inches.

On June 16, 1884, at about 7 p.m., jets of steam were seen shooting
upward from the summit of
Mount Tacoma
to a considerable height. This
phenomena was repeated at short intervals until darkness cut off the
view. There was no fire, and no earth tremors were reported.

In the fall of 1889 several slight tremors were felt in
the Puyallup valley and in the regions immediately surrounding
Mount Tacoma,
and in September, 1891, there were several small shocks
felt at Tacoma, but these were so slight that to my knowledge no
record has been kept of the dates or directions.

On November 20, 1891, at 3:15 p.m., two very perceptible shocks
were felt at Tacoma a few seconds apart.

Climbers in the Cascades in 1891 have seen fires coming from
Mount Hozomeen,
which is eastward from
Mount Baker,
Sheep herders east of the mountains have frequently seen eruptions of this mountain
in recent years, and if one report is true this volcano is the
"Old Faithful" of the Cascades.

On April 17, 1892, at 2:55 p.m., two slight shocks were- felt at
Tacoma.

For the purpose of convenient reference the foregoing data is
arranged in tables as follows;

EARTHQUAKES

Year

Shocks

Force

1820

Several

Violent

1833

Two

Slight

1869

One

Sharp

1870

Two

Severe

1872

Three

Sharp

1873

Several

Sharp

1874

Several

Slight

1880

Three

Strong

1880

Several

Sharp

1883

One

Strong

1889

Several

Slight

1891

Several

Slight

1891

Two

Slight

1892

Two

Slight

ERUPTIONS

Name

Year

Duration

Mount Tacoma

1820?

--------

Mount Tacoma

1843

--------

Mount Tacoma

1846

--------

Mount Tacoma

1884

2 Hours

Mount St. Helens

1831

12 Hours

Mount St. Helens

1842

Short

Mount St. Helens

1843

Short

Mount St. Helens

1843-4

85 Days

Mount St. Helens

1846

Short

Mount Baker

1820?

--------

Mount Baker

1846

--------

Mount Baker

1853

--------

Mount Baker

1880

--------

Mount Hood

1831?

--------

Mount Hood

1869

3?Hours

Mount Hozomeen

1891

--------

Mount Olympus

1861

Mount Olympus(?)

1880

3?Hours

An eminent seismographer, Professor Alexis Perry, by a long series
of observations and carefully prepared tables, has sought to prove that
there is a relation between the occurrence of earthquakes and the motions
of the moon. While it may be acknowledged that in the history of the
earth more earthquakes have occurred near the times of new and full
moons than at the quarters, it is still an open question if the moon actually
exerts an influence. That our complaisant satellite may attract the
subterranean fluids as well as those upon the earth's surface needs
no proof, but that there are such fluids is yet to be demonstrated.
Eminent scientists of both hemispheres believe that volcanic eruptions
are chemical rather than mechanical in their nature, and it is now a
favorite theory that volcanic outbursts are the results of the sudden
entrance of sea water into subterranean caverns. It may, indeed, be argued
that the presence of volcanoes is indicative of comparative safety from
violent earthquakes, inasmuch as they are really great safety valves
which to relieve internal pressures. If this be true Tacoma has nothing
to fear from earthquakes, for we have volcanoes to spare,

The intensity of an earthquake shock depends upon the distance and
depth of the center of activity, as well as the initial violence of the
shock. The intensity is inversely as the square of the distance, and it
follows that a shock which might throw a man off his feet at Mount Tacoma
might be barely perceptible in this city. It is not rpcorded that any of
the earthquakes experienced in the Puget Sound valley have been fatal to
man or beast, but it is to be remembered that the last shock of any
consequence was in 1880, and at that time there were no tall buildings of
brick or stone to be destroyed. Buildings of wood are more elastic than
those of masonry, and will stand a shock of greater amplitude without
destruction. A comparatively light series of vibrations might be cumulative
in effect and shatter the strongest and highest of our buildings, while
lower and weaker structures might show no strains. It is only fair to
admit that a shock like that of 1872 might be very disastrous to the
Sound cities as they are now built, and such shocks are quite likely to
occur at any moment if we are to judge by the past.